The Prince and the Pauper
by xmidnightxmoonx
Summary: In reality, she was the first to tell them apart, but she was quickly forgotten. Now, three years later, she's returned. What's going to happen when the rich and the poor fall in love? Rated M to be safe. KaoruxOC
1. Chapter 1

Kaoru sighed irritably as another white envelope had "mysteriously" appeared on his desk. The day had only just begun, too! He blew his hair out of his amber eyes as he scanned the note. The handwriting was extremely sloppy, but if he squinted enough, it was readable. Blah, blah, blah. There wasn't a single original thing in this note. Even the place this girl had asked to meet him was a frequent spot for fangirl confessions. But one thing caught his eye before he folded up and tossed it to Hikaru, who was next to him. Her name. Thalia Gillespie. Huh? That wasn't a name he'd ever heard of. In fact, it didn't even sound Japanese. Ah, well, she was probably a transfer or something. It didn't matter.

Hikaru grinned devilishly after he had also read it. All the twins needed to do was look at each other before deciding what to do with her. The good ol' switcheroo would do the trick. At least now they had something to look forward to.

Thalia's heart pounded nervously as she leaned against the stone wall. Her eyes darted around nervously as she watched for signs of Kaoru. The mere thought of him brought a slight blush to her face. But she shook her head; now was not the time to lose her cool. Normally, she wasn't the type to squeal and gush over one of the popular boys, but there was just something about this guy.

The sound of shoes tapping on marble made her jump, and her head whipped to the right so fast that her blonde hair smacked her in the face. For a second, she was happy to see Kaoru, but a closer inspection made her green eyes narrow. This wasn't Kaoru, but his twin brother Hikaru. What in the world was he doing here? "Hey, Hikaru. Where is Kaoru?" She called out, thankful that her voice wasn't shaky with nerves. Hikaru shook his head. "When will you girls ever stop making that mistake? This is Kaoru. You know, the one you wrote that note to?" Thalia smiled and used her left foot as leverage to push herself off the wall. She walked slowly towards him, her eyes looking around. There, behind the tree. "You really think I'm stupid enough to not know who I wrote the note to? You're Hikaru. And Kaoru is watching from that big tree over there." She nodded in his direction before calling out, "KAORU! I see you, you can come out!" He hesitated before strolling over, clearly a bit miffed that his cover was blown.

"How did you know?" Kaoru asked, trying to sound like he didn't care, but not quite succeeding. Thalia rolled her eyes. "I'm not dumb or blind. You two are actually quite different. Kaoru is kinder and a bit more shy. Hikaru is short-tempered and is more belligerent. I can see it in your faces, and from the way you act."

"What are you, some kind of stalker?" Hikaru asked, clearly angry. This just made Thalia giggle. "No. I've seen this all from watching you in class, where I sit right behind you." With this, she walked right between them before turning back and adding, "Don't play mind games with people who already know how to play them better." And she walked off.

Hikaru and Kaoru asked around, finally learning that Thalia was an exchange student from America. She'd been here two weeks, and had left after school the day she'd given that letter to Kaoru. Soon enough, she'd slipped from their minds, and they thought they'd almost forgotten her, until her name came up three years later.

"Hmm, this client is rather interesting. Over a month of visits, and she hasn't settled on a host. Normally, it only takes a girl about two. That, and she hasn't ever requested the twins." Kyouya stated. "What's her name?" Kaoru asked, only half paying attention as he played a DS game against Hikaru. "Thalia Gillespie." He said.

"WHAT?" The twins shouted in unison, even dropping their games at the same time. Even though she hadn't even crossed their minds in three years, there was no way they could forget the first girl to truly outsmart them at their own game. But they hadn't seen a glimpse of her. She was short, with wavy blonde hair and sharp green eyes. Kyouya said she'd been coming here for a month, but surely they would've seen her, even out of the corner of their eyes. Were Kaoru and Hikaru really that unobservant? They hoped not.

Kyouya cocked an eyebrow at their outburst. "Do you know her?" Hikaru opened his mouth to answer, but the door opened, and the club was forced to jump into their positions. Today, they were dressed as mountain hikers. Yes, not very glamorous, but budget was tight (Honey's sweets), and Kyouya had manged to get the gear for cheap. Tamaki was upset that he wasn't elegantly dressed, but that didn't stop him from immediately rushing up to the girl and taking her face into his hands. "My lady, it may be cold in these mountains, but the fire between us is more than enough to keep us warm." Her pale face was slightly tinged pink as she smiled, but there was no hint of the usual, "Oh, Tamaki!" that was accompanied by a swoon. She didn't even giggle.

"OH-HO! A girl that isn't totally wooed by Tamaki! Good to see she has a good head on her shoulders!" The twins shouted. This made Tamaki falter back, instantly pale. "She barely even blushed. Am I...losing my touch?" This made him gasp loudly, and dash over to Kyouya, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him hard. "AM I LOSING MY TOUCH? AM I?"

"Stop touching me." Kyouya said as he leveled Tamaki with a glare. Clearly frightened for his life, Tamaki then sprinted over to Haruhi, whose shoulders he also grabbed. "Haruhi! Does Daddy make you blush?" Haruhi replied with a simple, "No." With this, the Host Club King crawled over to the corner and sat there, muttering about how old he was getting, and considering retirement. The entire show made the girl giggle. She wasn't much taller than Haruhi, and had chin-length black hair with subtle teal streaks that peeked out undearneath each side of her head. Her eyes were a familiar shade of green. "Welcome, Gillespie-san."

The girl laughed. "Kyouya-san, feel free to use my first name. Gillespie's such a mouthful. And as if I need -san. I'm just a plain old girl." Kyouya nodded. "As you wish, Thalia-chan." Both Kaoru's and Hikaru's mouths dropped. "Thalia-chan?" She looked so different! So much older and mature and...beautiful. Kaoru thought he couldn't take his eyes off of her, until he was proven wrong when her gaze transferred to his. He quickly turned his head, his face redder than his hair. "Ah, Hikaru. Kaoru. How have you guys been? And when did you get so tall? Last time I saw you, you were MY height!" She giggled again. "You both are even better looking, if I can believe that." She strode up and wrapped her arms around both their waists, and pulled them in for a big bear hug. Kaoru was immensely thankful that she couldn't see how bad he was blushing. How fair was this? Last time, she'd had a crush on him, now HE seemed to be the infatuated one.

Hikaru glanced over at his brother and had to stifle back a laugh. Ahhh, go figure. Yeah, she was definitely a looker now, but nothing stunning. Although, as far as personality and brains went, Kaoru could definitely do worse. She definitely wasn't another squealing, mindless fangirl, as she'd proven years ago. She'd been able to outsmart them then, who knows how smart she was now? She'd probably give Haruhi a run for her money.

Thalia released Kaoru and Hikaru, still beaming. "Thalia, you've changed a lot yourself. Your hair..." Kaoru started, but trailed off, getting lost in her eyes. They were so _green..._Thalia giggled; she seemed to do that a lot. "Yeah. My hair was permed at the time, it's naturally stick straight. And blonde's so boring, I feel much more myself in black and teal."

"You know, Thalia, your Japanese is quite fluent considering how little you've been here." Kyouya noted. "Why, thank you," Thalia said, "I'd been studying furiously the past three years. I knew from my first day here that Ouran was the school for me, so I made sure my grades were flawless so I could actually get here on scholarship. That, and..." By this point, Thalia had strolled over to Haruhi. She threw her arms around the Host's neck, since they were around the same height. "Haruhi's an amazing teacher!"


	2. Chapter 2

An awkward silence filled the room as Thalia continued to leech onto Haruhi. Each of the hosts' jaws were dropped (excluding Haruhi and Kyouya, of course. Kyouya knows everything, after all), their eyes as wide as saucers. "Haruhi, you've been giving this lady Japanese lessons?" Tamaki exclaimed, his finger pointing at the female host accusingly. "Well, of course. I mean, I get some extra credit to help her out, and it really isn't that demanding of a job. Why do you think I've been late a lot lately?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I've been hogging Haruhi. Japanese is so different from English, though. But he's a great teacher! Very patient and kind." Thalia tossed in, looking a bit chagrined. "Not a problem at all. I don't necessarily mind some time away from these guys." Haruhi smiled sincerely. This, of course, caused Tamaki to fall dramatically to the floor and sob. "Oh, Haruhi! How you wound me! I try so hard to make you happy, and all you do is rebel!" Haruhi turned towards the sobbing blonde, her left eye twitching menacingly. "Shut. Up. NOW." Tamaki scurried back towards his corner, where he seemed to be cultivating mushrooms. Thalia peered at him curiously, but the rest of the club advised her that the best thing to do was to just leave him be, he'd crawl out eventually. Heeding their warnings, she sat on one of the Music Room's plush couches. For some odd reason, she'd magically become very shy, preferring to gaze down at the shiny marble floor.

"So, Thalia-chan, what did you come here for?" Kyouya finally asked her. This caused the raven-haired girl to jump slightly. "Oh, um, I came here today to request the twins." Kyouya arched an eyebrow. "Really? This would be your first time doing so." She nodded. "At first, I wanted to see them, see if they'd changed. Actually, it seems like they have, a lot. I also wanted to see if they'd recognize me or remember me. I'm not so sure about either, but I'd still like to see them today."

This made Kaoru sit forward and look at her, though she couldn't see that, considering she was still intently staring at the floor. "Of course we remember you! You were the first person to really make us open our eyes, the first person to make us realize that not everybody's stupid. How could we forget you? You just look so different...You've really changed." This finally made her look up. "Really, Kaoru?" Only slightly surprised that she knew he was the one talking without looking, he nodded. "Really." Thalia's right side of her mouth turned up into a crooked smile, which was so darn adorable it made Kaoru's heart skip a beat. "Hikaru and I would be pleased to entertain you today." Thalia full-on grinned, and actually jumped up and gave Kaoru a hug. "Yay! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be back later, then!" With that, she'd dashed out of the room.

"Nee, Kyo-chan, why didn't you make her pay?" Hani asked curiously. Still writing in that notebook of his, Kyouya said, "Well, because she's here on a special scholarship. She has an agreement with the principal that if her grades remain in tip-top shape, she can have Host Club privileges for free."

This made Kaoru wonder. Scholarship? So, like Haruhi, she couldn't actually afford to go to Ouran Academy. How poor was she? No, she probably wasn't poor, just lower middle-class, like Haruhi. The girl didn't have the "poor" air around her. Generally, poor people were miserable, or at least downcast, but she was so bright and cheerful. Haruhi could actually stand to learn a thing or two from this girl. Kaoru spent the rest of the day with his head in the clouds, anxious to see Thalia again.

Unsurprisingly, Thalia was the first to arrive. The club was still in gear, but the temperature of the room had dropped, and there was fake snow all around, even swirling in the air. She shivered, and immediately Kaoru went to unzip his jacket for her, but Hikaru had to stop him. "Do you want her to die? The rest of the girls will be here any second now, what do you think they'll do if they see a girl wearing a host's jacket?" Reluctantly, Kaoru nodded, but Hikaru compromised, letting his brother sit next to her until the rest of the girls arrived. Once the doors closed, Hikaru and Kaoru set to work.

Thalia watched the brothers raptly, but she had an eye for Kaoru. Honestly, she couldn't see how anybody could ever confuse the two. Sure, they were identical twins, but there were so many personality differences, even their facial expressions were different. As she'd suspected, Hikaru took the role of the dominant brother, the _seme._ And Kaoru was a very convincing _uke._ She'll admit it, she blushed. A lot. But she refused to let herself drop to the level of screaming like the rest. Of course, what made her blush the most was imagining herself in Hikaru's place. Could she really still have a crush on Kaoru? Was she really _that_ desperate? Not like it'd ever happen, of course. Kaoru was a host, and he came from a very well-known family. An American immigrant on scholarship could never hope to even go on a date with a guy like him. She was insignificant even compared to the girls next to her, let alone Kaoru. As reluctant as she was to leave, Thalia was also eager to get home, to rid her head of these silly fantasies that could never come true.

Thankfully, it wasn't very late by the time Thalia had returned home. The drunks would all still be in the bar, not yet prowling the streets. Thalia had already had enough close encounters to know when not to be outside. But that didn't stop her from quickly unlocking the door to her small apartment and closing the door behind her. She didn't feel safe until she'd clicked the lock behind her. Relieved to be home, she turned on the light.

Her apartment was very small, the most she could afford. In fact, there were only two rooms to it, and one of them was the bathroom. Which meant she slept, ate, and did everything in the other room. Pushed up against the far wall were a small stove and fridge. In the middle was a table big enough for two, which every night she pushed aside so that she could roll out her bed and sleep. On rainy nights, there were leaks, and the windows rattled at the slightest hint of wind, and the electricity worked about seventy percent of the time, but it was enough for her. As long as she had somewhere to stay at night, she was happy.

With a sigh, she knelt down by the table and pulled out her schoolwork. She managed to dredge her way through it, though it was pitch-black outside by the time she'd finished. Kaoru's face kept popping into her mind, it made it hard to work. Thalia had a profound headache by the time she'd stuffed all her homework back where it belonged. It was far too late to cook anything, so she rummaged around until she found a package of Pop-Tarts and a carton of milk. She quickly but unhappily ate the meal, changed into her pajamas, and rolled out her bed. Thankfully, she quickly fell asleep.

Today, Kaoru noticed that Thalia seemed a bit off. She appeared to be zoned out all day during class, though he could clearly see her taking notes. Wow, that must take talent, to be able to do well in school without even paying attention. Even during Host Club activies she seemed downcast. So, while she was leaving, Kaoru quietly pulled her aside. "Hey, everything okay?" Thalia looked to her right; she didn't seem to like eye contact, which sucked for Kaoru, because he loved her eyes. "Yeah, I guess. I think I'm just tired." He wasn't very pleased with this answer. "You sure? You can tell me anything, you know." This made her laugh, but it didn't seem to be a real one, like yesterday. "Why do you care? You're Kaoru Hitachiin, a member of the host club, and son of a well-respected family. I'm a nobody."

"You have a point, and I'm not really sure. But you're a sweet girl. You're different. You stick out from all the rest, like a splash of color in a world that's black and white. Three years, and I still haven't met a girl quite like you."

"Aww, you're sweet. And a bit poetic, and possibly a bit cheesy, too. But you should stop caring before I fall for you. It could never work out between us. You're the prince, and I'm the lady in torn clothes starving on the streets. I don't want to ruin you, Kaoru-kun." Thalia looked up at him, smiled sadly, and left. With a small sigh, Kaoru went to rejoin his brother so they could ride home together. Kaoru was quiet the entire way home, and had lain in bed, lost in thought, for what felt like forever before Hikaru went and rolled him off the bed.

"Seriously, what's your problem?" He asked, looking down at his younger twin. "You've been like a zombie since we left school."

"It's her." Kaoru groaned.

"Her?"

"Thalia, of course."

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious you're crushing on her. And it still seems like she's got a thing for you. So, what's the problem?" Kaoru sat up, glaring up at his brother.

"I'm a host. How's a host supposed to entertain girls when he's got a girlfriend? It'd feel all wrong. And I've pretty much just met her, I'm not leaving the host club for her. Then there's the fact that not only is she on scholarship, but she's a foreigner. Like she put it, it'd be like a prince dating a peasant. But that doesn't change the fact that her smile makes my heart skip a beat, doesn't change the fact that I get lost in her eyes. It doesn't stop me from worrying about her. Despite all that, I want to make her happy. I just don't know what to do, Hikaru." He slowly shook his head and looked down at the white carpet. Hikaru could see this eating him up, and sat down next to Kaoru. "Well, you don't have to make this decision right now or anything. You have plenty of time to figure out what your heart wants. But I would definitely try to get to know her better. I mean, if you don't, how're you gonna know whether or not she's worth all this? My advice is just to calm down. But most importantly, follow your heart. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go take a shower." Hikaru got up and patted his shoulder as he walked to the adjoined bathroom. Kaoru was greatly comforted by his brother's advice. Of course Hikaru was right. What was he thinking? He didn't have to figure things out right now. With a smile, he got up and went downstairs to the kitchen, looking for something to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

Thalia was rather surprised to see Kaoru walk right up to her after school. In fact, class had just been dismissed and she'd only put one book in her bag when she saw him towering over her desk. "Yes, Kaoru-kun?" She asked, barely glancing up as she continued to clear her desk. "Well, I was wondering. Since the host club is off-duty today, would you like to hang out?" She froze, then looked up at him, both of her eyebrows raised. "Are you serious?" She asked incredulously. "Of course." He replied. Thalia shook her head slowly. "Gosh, you're crazy. Well, what did you have in mind?"

Knowing that she wasn't going to fight, Kaoru grinned. "Well, we have one heck of an arcade in our basement, you wanna check it out?" Thalia grinned back, her emerald eyes sparkling. "Seriously? Heck yeah! I know you're going to mercilessly kick my butt at every game, but it should be fun. Why not?" She was hesitant to see his house, but not enough that she wouldn't go. He obviously really wanted her to go, and another boring night home alone really didn't sound appealing when she had the chance to see a rich person's arcade.

"Come on, the limo's waiting outside." Kaoru nodded towards the door. Thalia looked up at him, her eyes wide. "L-limo?" Kaoru laughed. "Of course. What, did you think we walk home or something like that? Come on, we're not _poor._" Sighing and rolling her eyes, Thalia forced herself to follow Kaoru and his brother into the limousine. Once inside and comfortable, she looked around in wonder. "Wow, this is my first time in one of these. I can't believe it, this is so surreal." Hikaru chuckled. "If you're amazed by this, wait 'till you see the house." Thalia gulped, looking scared. "Come on now, it's not going to eat you, I promise." Kaoru teased.

He was right, the house was _huge._ She couldn't even call it a house, it definitely classified as a mansion. Feeling very small and insignificant, she followed the twins inside. "Oh, you probably want something to change into, don't you? I don't expect you to hang out in your school uniform all day." Kaoru clapped his hands, and two women appeared on either side of him. "Yes, master?" They asked in unison, which rather creeped Thalia out. "Get her something comfortable to wear." And with that, Thalia was whisked away. Before she knew it, she was in a comfortable tank, shrug, and knee-length shorts. She did feel much more comfortable, but it was odd. These clothes weren't hers, and imagine how much they cost! _Don't think about it, _she told herself, and descended the stairs to the Game Room, as she'd heard Hikaru call it.

She could easily fit her apartment into this room five times over. It was massive, and all around there were actual arcade systems. She could see several pinball machines, shooting games, a DDR machine, and on the far end, where the Hitachiin twins were currently seated, was a couch and a HUGE TV. They probably had every modern gaming system known to man, and hundreds if not thousands of games. Thalia had no clue what they were playing, but sat down next to them and quietly watched, smiling as she listened to Kaoru and Hikaru insult each other. Before long, the game ended, and they finally seemed to notice her existence. Kaoru looked over her attire appreciatively, then asked her if she wanted to play Mario Kart. She grinned and laughed, which he took as a yes, and put the game in.

It was hard not to get distracted by her. The tank clung tightly to her well developed breasts, which jiggled nicely every time she laughed, and her shorts hugged the curves of her legs. She had a bit of a belly, but really, it just added to her charm. Kaoru never liked the stick-thin look on girls, anyways, so the fact that Thalia was well-fed was pleasing to him. In the end, she won at Mario Kart, looking quite pleased with herself. She also was pretty good at Dance Dance Revolution, only losing at the much harder levels that even Kaoru had troubles with.

Sadly, the day seemed to end too quickly, and they agreed it was time for her to get home. They grabbed her uniform, and the two of them reluctantly climbed into the limo. Thalia gave the chauffeur her address, and it greatly surprised Kaoru. She lived in the part of town where the people of...questionable character lived. Only the really poor people lived there. His suspicions were confirmed when they pulled up to a ratty looking old apartment building. Kaoru frowned. This would have to change, and soon. He wouldn't allow this sweet girl to live here. It just wouldn't do. Thalia smiled and gave Kaoru a tight hug. He hugged back, and they both noted that the hug lasted a moment longer than normal. He could've sworn he saw some color on her face as she opened the door and got out. "Thanks for letting me over, Kaoru. I had a bunch of fun, and we really should hang again soon."

"Definitely." He smiled back, and instantly missed her as soon as she'd closed the door. They'd barely made it to the end of the block when he heard the loud crash, and the high-pitched scream of a girl. Kaoru didn't even bother to tell the driver to stop, he immediately flung the door open and raced back towards Thalia's apartment. He saw two figures on the ground; a large man and a small girl that he just knew was Thalia. He yelled with fury and shoved the man off of her. The old man, who reeked of beer, landed on his back. Filled with rage, he kicked the drunk between the legs, and punched his face over, and over, until he could feel arms wrapped around him, and could hear Thalia crying for him to stop. He did as she asked, and turn to look at her. She was sobbing, mascara and eyeliner running down her face. Both her shrug and tank top had been torn, her breasts were almost falling out. Kaoru quickly unbuttoned his shirt and gave it to her to put on. He looked away and let her cover herself up. Once she had his shirt buttoned up, he took Thalia into his arms and let her cry, stroking her hair. "I should've known by now that the drunks would be roaming the street. He came out of nowhere, out of the bushes, I think. How could I forget? God, I was so scared. Normally, I expect it and can fight them off, but..." She shuddered into tears again, but Kaoru pushed her away, still holding onto her shoulders. "Wait. You mean, this isn't the first time this has happened?" She shook her head. "No, this is probably the fourth or fifth, but normally they don't even get a finger on me." Kaoru shook his head angrily. "That's it. You are NOT living here anymore. Come on, we're going to go into your apartment so you can grab anything you need, and you're going to stay at my place. That is final. No excuses." Still shaking, she nodded her head, and led him into her apartment. Thalia swore as she jiggled a switch until the lights turned on. It didn't take her long to pack up her stuff. Kaoru led her back to the limo, and told the driver to return home.

He led her inside, where he told the servants to get her some new clothes and to take her to the guest bedroom next to his. He wanted her as close to him as possible, to know that she was safe. With that taken care of, he ran up the stairs to his mother's room. "Mom?" He asked. "Yeees, darling?" She replied, sitting at her vanity as she was taking off her make-up. "Well, I have a friend from school. We hung out today, and after I dropped her off at her apartment, some drunk old guy tried to rape her, and I wanted to know if it was okay with you if she stayed here until we can find her something better." Her head turned towards him, her eyes wide with horror. "Of course, Kaoru. See to it that she has everything she needs to be comfortable. She can stay as long as she likes. Poor thing. What's her name?"

"Thalia Gillespie. She's from America, and she's here on scholarship." He couldn't tell whether or not she was pleased with Thalia's social status, but that didn't matter. As long as Thalia could stay. Kaoru nodded his head, then rushed over to Thalia's room. She was sitting on her bed, in her pajamas, holding her pillow to her chest. She still looked like she was crying. He strode over and sat down next to her. "Oh, Kaoru!" She cried, and leaned into him. He just held her as she sobbed some more, until she quieted down. Kaoru looked at her to see that she had actually cried herself to sleep. Her face was much more peaceful now that she was unconscious. Smiling softly to himself, Kaoru laid her down and drew the covers over her. Once he was satisfied that she was deep asleep, he quietly made his way to the bedroom that he and Hikaru shared. "Kaoru, how come I could've sworn I heard Thalia crying next door?" Hikaru asked as Kaoru slipped into bed next to him. "Because right after I dropped her off, some fucking old drunk guy tried to rape her, had actually torn her shirt open by the time I got to her." His voice was still shaking with anger. What had she done to deserve that? She was smart and funny and so kind...

"My god" was all that Hikaru could manage to say. "Yeah, so, she's staying here until further notice."

"Fine with me." Then the two fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

At first, Thalia was confused when she woke up in a comfortable bed, with sunlight streaming in through a large window to her right. She sat up and looked around, still quite disoriented. She'd never slept in a room this _nice. _But then the memories of last night came flooding back. The old man, jumping out of nowhere...her clothes tearing...being paralyzed, unable to fight. Then Kaoru coming out of nowhere, her knight in shining armor. That's right, he'd taken her back to his place, and she was sleeping in one of his guest bedrooms. To be honest, she hadn't felt this well-rested in a while. There was definitely a distinct difference between a queen-sized mattress and a mat on the floor. For a while, Thalia just laid back in bed, taking in the soft pillows and the feel of just floating. But before long, she couldn't stand the yowling of her stomach. She groaned as she rolled out of bed and trudged downstairs. It wasn't very hard to find the kitchen, she could hear the clanging of pots and pans.

As Thalia stepped through the double doors to the Hitachiin's kitchen, she felt as if she'd been transported to a 5-star restaurant. There were at least 10 chefs hustling and bustling. She felt extremely out of place, and there was no way she'd be able to sneak in and grab some Pop-Tarts or something. So she just as quietly left the cooks to it. Of course the twins would have their own personal chefs cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for them. As soon as the door closed behind her, she slammed right into a shirtless Kaoru. He looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. "Hey, are you alright? And what were you doing in the kitchen?" He asked her, his hands on her shoulders again.

She sighed. "I'm fine, and actually I was sneaking in to see if I could grab some cereal or something, but there were all these people in my way, and for some odd reason, I don't think I'd be able to find Frosted Flakes in there, anyways." Kaoru laughed. "Cereal? In my house? I don't think so. Come on, to the dining room." Kaoru nonchalantly threw his left arm around her shoulder as he guided her to the dining room. Thalia gasped as she walked in. In the middle of the room was a long table that looked as if it could easily sit twenty people. Hanging over the table was a large, elegant chandelier that now sparkled in the sunlight. She was sure it was even more beautiful at night. Kaoru patiently waited for her to take in the sight before gently sitting her down in one of the chairs. He smiled as he sat down next to her. "You're really amazed by everything in here, aren't you?"

"Of course. Did you see where I lived? I was a bit better off at my home back in America, but we still didn't have anything this...extravagant." She murmured, still looking up at the chandelier. Kaoru nodded. She did have a point. So, she'd always been poor? He hadn't realized that he'd wondered this question aloud, so he was surprised when she smiled softly and turned to him. "No, not always. When I was younger, my dad was a truck driver. He made good money, and I was spoiled. We'd go shopping because we were bored. I always had toys and clothes galore. But, when I was nine years old, he got sick with a flesh-eating bacteria. We lost everything but the house, and that was thanks to my grandparents. Ever since then, we had to be more frugal with our money, buy only what we needed. Sometimes we'd get our hot water or our cable shut off, and sometimes we'd have to skip a meal or two a day so we could last until the next check. But we all survived, which was what mattered."

Kaoru looked down at Thalia in wonder. He couldn't imagine what it was like to go without a constant supply of hot water or food. But, she was happy. Upbeat. She didn't have the "poor" air around her at all. He guessed he'd been stereotypical. Most poor people were probably like Thalia here, glad with what she had, knowing that moaning about what she didn't have wouldn't make things any better. He decided that he'd spoil her from now on, give her all the nice things that she'd been without most of her life. "Well, just you wait for breakfast. You'll love it!" This brought a bright smile to her face as she looked right up into Kaoru's eyes, something he could tell wasn't easy for her. But it was worth it, to see her eyes lighten and sparkle. She was even more beautiful when she smiled, if that was possible. "I bet I will. Breakfast has always been my favorite meal, and it'll definitely be the best meal I've had in months!" That was when Hikaru trudged into the room, still yawning and rubbing his eyes, followed by their mother. She looked so much like Hikaru and Kaoru. Her make-up and hair were both already done, although she still looked like she was in pajamas. "I always do my clothes last, because that part is definitely the most fun!" She winked at the clearly befuddled Thalia. "Hello, I'm Yuzuha Hitachiin, the boys' mother. I'm a fashion designer. I heard what happened to you last night, darling, and I'm very sorry. You are welcome in our home for as long as you wish." Thalia smiled. "Thank you. As Kaoru probably already told you, my name is Thalia Gillespie. I'm originally from America, and I'm going to Ouran Academy to become a clinical pathologist."

"A what now? No big words at the breakfast table." Hikaru moaned, clearly still not fully awake yet. "It means that I'm going to work in a hospital and look at stuff under microscopes and diagnose diseases." Thalia explained. Hikaru nodded and laid his head on the table. "What's with him?" Thalia stage-whispered to Kaoru. He laughed, and Thalia could've sworn she saw Hikaru's shoulders shaking with laughter, too. "He's not a morning person." He stage-whispered back.

It was at that point that the doors connecting the dining room and kitchen swung open, and a row of chefs with platters in each hand filed out. Plate before plate of food was laid out in front of them. Thalia could feel her mouth watering already. Once the table was set up, the covers were taken off, and Thalia's eyes widened at the buffet of food: Scrambled eggs, toast, waffles, pancakes, french toast, sausage. But she waited for the rest of them before taking her own portions, not wanting to seem like a pig. But she didn't have to worry, it turns out. Everybody's plate was filled, and there was still plenty of food leftover. "What happens to the rest of the food?" She asked Kaoru's mother in between bites of luscious eggs. "Hmm, I'm not entirely sure. Their father knows. I do know that we don't waste it and throw it out, at least." Thalia was satisfied enough with that answer. As long as the food went to some good cause, that was alright. Peeking over at Kaoru's plate, she was surprised to see only pancakes and waffles and french toast, all drowned in syrup. "What can I say? I really have a thing for this sticky sweet stuff." He said with a grin.

Before long, the plates were empty and their bellies were stuffed. Again, not wanting to be impolite, Thalia waited until the rest of the family excused themselves before getting up. She waddled like a penguin all the way up to her room, where she was unsurprised to see a casual outfit laid out for her. Thalia smiled to herself as she put the clothes on, happy with how well they fit her. Now to do her hair and make-up. She grabbed the teal extensions from the little stand by her bed and set to work. Within twenty minutes, she looked much more pleasing to the eye. Feeling better about today, she skipped downstairs to see what she would be doing today. The twins were already sprawled out on the couch, playing Nintendo DS. "Took you long enough." stated Hikaru, not even having to look up. "I hope it did. I was especially slow today, just for you." She grinned and plopped down on the couch next to Kaoru, watching over his shoulder. "So, what're we doing today?" She finally asked. A mischievous smile crept across his face as he turned off his game. "We're gonna go shopping." He stated, matter-of-fact. "Shopping? For what?" She questioned, a bit scared at this point. "For stuff for you. Now come on!" With that, she was whisked off into their limo.

"Sometimes, I wish I was a bit bigger, so it wouldn't be so gosh darn easy for everybody to drag me around whenever they wanted." Thalia pouted. "Aww, come on, you'll have fun!" Kaoru nudged her playfully. And he was right, it turned out. Though at first, Thalia blanched at the thought of spending money that wasn't her on clothes and other goodies, Kaoru eventually got her to go along, which was when she started having fun, too. After she'd gotten a very nice wardrobe, she spent a good amount of time in the book store, and some other stores that Kaoru insisted on. Around noon, they stopped to get a bite to eat at the local fast food restaurant. There they giggled as they shoved french fries into each other's faces and blew straw wrappers at unsuspecting old people.

Tamaki and the rest of the host club watched from behind a bush in the middle of the mall aisle. Tamaki, of course, had binoculars, even though they were completely unnecessary. "Tamaki, WHY am I here again?" Haruhi asked, clearly a bit miffed that she couldn't have just ONE weekend by herself, without this motley crew. "Because, we need to see if they're actually good together. If they aren't hitting it off, then we need to stop this immediately! But, if it is true love, then we need to intervene and make sure that nothing gets in their way of happiness! I am Cupid, the Prince of Matchmaking!" By this point, Tamaki had jumped up and was pointing dramatically. The entire host club had to stuff him down before the two inside the restaurant.

Thalia was having the time of her life with Kaoru, and he looked like he was having a lot of fun himself. In fact, they didn't even realize they were holding hands until she heard a mother walking by with her carriage going, "Aww, look at the cute teenage couple! They're holding hands and everything! Oh, what it was like to be young and in love..." At the same time, they both looked down between them. Indeed, Thalia's right hand was interlaced with Kaoru's left. Their hands fit together perfectly, and it really didn't feel _wrong_, so they just kept on walking. But now she was distracted by the feel of Kaoru's warm hand against hers, the little ember of flame that danced back and forth between where the two touched. Kaoru had grown quiet; was he thinking the same thing?

So neither of them noticed the two girls furtively whispering to each other, pointing accusingly at Thalia and Kaoru. Both of the fangirls whipped out their cell phones and commenced texting every person they knew. Boy, was Thalia going to be in for a shock when she returned to school Monday!

Before they knew it, the mall was closing. Hikaru took out his cell and called the driver. But spirits were still high as Kaoru and Thalia carried all of her bags to the limousine, for they both knew that they didn't have to say good-bye. They'd be able to spend all night together. Well, not _all _night, but close enough. So, they both crawled into the stretching limo, both laughing even though their sides were already aching. "Alright, alright, you got me, Kaoru. I had a lot more fun than I thought I would've." This caused him to push her over playfully. "So? I was right? Huh, was I right?" He asked while tickling her sides. Her face was starting to resemble a tomato by the time he released her. "Okay, yes, Master. You were right. I will never doubt your judgment again. Happy?"

"Very." Kaoru grinned. "So, what do you want to do when we get back?"

"The only thing you CAN do on a Saturday night. Order some pizza, grab some popcorn, and watch HORROR MOVIES!" Kaoru gulped. "Horror...movies?"

"Yeah! What, are you _scared, _Kaoru?" He huffed and turned his head away. "Of course not." Thalia grinned. "Then it's settled. Scary movie marathon, here we come!" So Kaoru was forced to watch three scary movies in a row before Thalia got freaked out enough herself. By this point, she was practically glued to Kaoru, which he really didn't mind. His arms were wrapped around her, and her head was buried in his chest. This, of course, was the moment that Hikaru and the rest of the host club walked in. "Aww, Takashi! Look at them!" Hunny cried from his perch on Mori's shoulders. Thalia didn't bother to say anything, just stuck her tongue out at the group. "Hey, where's Haruhi?" Kaoru asked, noticing that she was missing from the group. "Haruhi refused to tag along for the sleepover." Kyouya said, pushing up his glasses. Tamaki sniffled at this. She'd most likely slammed the door in his face, so he was probably going to sulk for another hour before having one of his bipolar mood swings. Oh, tonight was going to be fun. "Now, if you don't mind, could you go away? Maybe Thalia and I will join whatever you guys are doing later." Hikaru looked a bit hurt, but Tamaki agreed and herded the club downstairs to the game room.

"Ahh, peace and quiet." Thalia sighed. "I was afraid I'd be going to bed with a migraine." Kaoru chuckled. "Me, too." The room was then filled with silence. Not a particularly awkward one, but it wasn't quite comfortable, either. Thalia was looking up at Kaoru, who was looking ahead of him, into the distance. That's when everything changed for her. She wasn't just fond of Kaoru, she didn't just like him. She wanted him, needed him. She raised her head and planted her lips right on his. Kaoru froze in response, his eyes wide, but he quickly melted and wrapped his arms around her, one hand entangling itself in her dark hair, the other gripping the fabric of her tee. Both of Thalia's hands had already snaked themselves into Kaoru's ginger locks. The kiss quickly grew and grew, becoming more passionate by the second. Kaoru quickly moved so that she was beneath him, and now there was more than kissing. Thalia's hands were beneath Kaoru's shirt, exploring his chest, his abs, roaming down his back (he shivered softly when she did that). With one hand, Kaoru learned her curves, caressed her sweet breasts, felt just how round her butt was. The clothes were just about to come off when Hikaru opened the door, to get some snacks. He froze where he was; it was so _weird _to see his own twin brother all over a girl. "What's going on?" He managed to get out. The two froze, and broke their kiss to look at Hikaru. His expression was unreadable, there were so many emotions swimming in his eyes to pick out just one. "Uh, n-nothing." Kaoru stammered out, his face just as flushed as Thalia's, although whether from their passionate kissing or from being caught, Hikaru didn't know. Nor did he really want to. He just wanted to get away.

Kaoru watched his brother storm off into the kitchen. He was torn between wanting to make his brother feel better and wanting to stay with Thalia. He looked back at her, and he could see she understood. She nodded her head. "Go talk to him. I'll be right here." With that, Kaoru jogged after Hikaru. "Hikaru, please-"

"It's nothing. It doesn't matter." Hikaru cut him off, his arms full of chip bags and soda. "Hika-kun, it was an impulse, neither of us meant for it to happen."

"I don't care. Now, I'm going to go hang out with our friends, thank you very much." His tone implied that Kaoru was not welcome to join in. The door to the game room slammed shut, and Kaoru slid to the floor, his face hidden in his hands. He'd been sitting there for what felt like ages before a light touch on his shoulder signaled to him that he had company. "I take it things didn't go too well with Hikaru?" She asked softly. Her eyes were saddened, but full of sympathy and warmth. Kaoru couldn't bring himself to say anything. Next to him, he heard her sigh, then felt a weight on his shoulders. Her head? "I'm so sorry, Kaoru. I started this." At this, Kaoru immediately came back to life and wrapped Thalia in his arms. "Oh, Thalia, it wasn't your fault. I wanted it and enjoyed what we did every bit as much as you did." A pause. "You did enjoy it, didn't you?" Thalia giggled. "Of course I did."

"Well, er, that's good." Kaoru murmured, a bit of color returning to his cheeks. At that point, Thalia gave Kaoru a quick peck on the cheek, hopped up, and declared that she was going to bed. And she did so, leaving Kaoru on the floor, where he actually slumped over and fell asleep until Hikaru accidentally tripped over him on his way to the bathroom. Sighing loudly, he picked up his younger brother and placed him in the bed they shared.

Sunday was rather uneventful. Kaoru couldn't manage to get Thalia out of her bedroom; she was holed up in there with her new books. So he resignedly went to the game room and played video games with Hikaru, who still seemed a bit distant and cold. Little did they know what was to befall them come school tomorrow...


	5. Chapter 5

Ohey, I forgot. I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything related to it. I only claim the writing and Thalia. All else belongs to Hatori Bisco. And there's a lot of fluff in the beginning and end, but I love fluff. 3

For the third time in a row, Thalia woke up in a comfortable, luxurious bed. Even though today was Monday, so she couldn't sleep in, she still felt well-rested. Therefore, she was able to hop out of bed and dance over to her closet where her pale yellow Ouran dress hung. She'd probably be one of the first girls to admit that she didn't like the stuffy uniform, and its color wasn't the most flattering, but she put up with it. Lord knows how much she'd be picked on if she just wore normal clothes, like a girl too poor to afford the uniform. In truth, she was, but that didn't mean that everybody else had to know. With a resignated sigh, she slipped into the dress, and combed her hair. But today, she didn't feel like clipping in her teal extensions. It was probably the very first day she'd ever done so. Ah, well. Thalia had the feeling she'd be getting a makeover soon anyways.

Somebody knocked softly on her door, and her heart soared when she heard Kaoru's voice. "Thalia? Are you ready?" Thalia strode over and opened the door. "As a matter of fact, I just finished." She gave the ginger boy a quick peck on the cheek and headed downstairs, where Hikaru was leaning against the banister. "What's for breakfast?" Thalia asked him curiously. Refusing to look at her, Hikaru answered, "Whatever you feel like getting or making. Although, to be honest, you could stand to skip a breakfast or two." Thalia's eyebrows shot up, and was about to ask him what the hell his problem was, when Kaoru appeared at the top of the stairs. "What did you just say, Hikaru?" He asked, his voice flat. "I said that your girlfriend's a tad chubby." Hikaru glared at his younger brother. Kaoru quickly descended the staircase and shoved Hikaru. "What's your deal?"

"My deal? My deal is that I can't believe you'd let _her _come between us! This...this...poor, ugly, annoying brat!" Thalia's jaw dropped. Where'd all _this _come from? Kaoru was clearly thinking the same thing. "I don't even know who you are anymore." He murmured. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing." Hikaru replied, and went outside, probably to the limo. "Well, I have no clue what that was. I'm going to go grab some sort of snack, do you want something?" Kaoru asked her softly. Thalia shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not really hungry." Her gaze was fixed on the floor, like it tended to be most of the time.

"Hey." Kaoru said, taking his face in her hands. But her eyes still refused to look into his. "Thalia, please look at me." Reluctantly, she did, and Kaoru was surprised to see that her green eyes were shining with tears. "Oh, Thalia." he took her into his arms, holding her tightly. "You're definitely not fat. And you're not ugly or annoying, either. And don't worry about being poor. Most rich people are stuck up these days, anyway. Thalia, you're so smart and funny and unbelievably sweet and kind. I look at you and I'm amazed that you'd even have feelings for me. I'm not nice, or intelligent, or anything like that. I feel blessed to have you in my life." And with that, he kissed her, tasting the saltiness of her tears. Of course, that meant that he'd most likely have to change again once he got to school, but he didn't mind.

Looking at her, he felt this feeling build up in his chest, this warmth in his heart. Even though her eyes were red and puffy, though her nose was running, she looked beautiful. More beautiful than any girl he'd ever laid eyes on. So, once more, he took her face in his hands. "Thalia, I have to tell you something. I...I think that I might be...falling in love with you. I think I love you, Thalia Gillespie." Once he'd let that out, he felt vulnerable. Exposed. He'd never let himself become susceptible; he'd closed himself off from any feelings, so he knew he'd always be in control. But now he was handing his heart over to a girl, a girl he once tried to hurt. How naïve he'd been.

"Oh, Kaoru. I wish I could say the same, I really do. Don't get me wrong, I truly care about you, as much as I can. But I swore to myself that I wouldn't even think about falling in love again until I'm out of high school. I've fallen in love before, and I really got hurt for it. I don't know...I can't get hurt again." She looked up at him, begging for him to understand. "But I really do care about you Kaoru. I do. If things were differen't, I'd already be madly in love with you. But I promise you this: I'll try." Kaoru hugged her again. "I understand, Tally. There's no rush. And I know what it's like to be hurt, to put a wall around yourself because you're afraid of more pain."

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." He whispered back.

"Don't you think you should be going?" A maid asked them as she walked by, her arms full of towels. The two looked at each other awkwardly, then giggled as they dashed off to the limo.

Thalia let out a sigh of relief as class was dismissed for lunch. It was extremely hard to concentrate in class, what with her mind replaying all that had happened this morning. Hikaru's harsh insults, Kaoru's confession...It was a bit much to deal with on a Monday morning. In fact, her life had changed a lot within a few days. It was funny how Thursday, she'd tried to push him away, and now here they were, practically a _couple. _To be honest, she was still torn on her feelings. A part of her wanted to end this, to tell Kaoru it just couldn't work. But they fit together perfectly, it was easy for them to get along. But she was too afraid to let her guard down, to let him in. The las time she'd done that, she'd payed dearly for it. Even thinking about what had happened made her heart ache. She'd promised herself after that breakup that she wouldn't even think of dating guys again until she was out of high school, because high school relationships rarely ever lasted. But things felt so _right_ with Kaoru...

"Um, Thalia Gillespie, right?" She heard a girl ask. Thalia's head snapped up, like a person jolted awake from a nap. She saw a group of four girls around her desk. "Yes, that's me." Hmm, she'd never spoken to these girls before. What did they want? Most likely homework help, this wouldn't be the first time. "Do you want to eat lunch with us? You looked so lonely." Thalia smiled warmly at the girls. "Aww, that's nice. Of course I will." The girls all smiled back. "Great! Follow us, we have a _great _spot to go eat lunch." So Thalia got up and followed the girls down the twisting hallways. Finally, they stopped in a deserted hallway. One of the girls looked around, then opened the door and pushed Thalia in. Before she could get up, she heard the door lock shut behind her. "What's going on?" She asked. The four girls all stood in front of the door with their arms crossed, glaring hatefully at Thalia. "We know what you were doing Saturday." Thalia was so shocked, that all she could get out was, "What are you talking about?"  
"This!" One of the girls yelled, shoving her cell phone into Thalia's face. On the screen, she saw a picture of her and Kaoru holding hands at the mall. "Oh, that was nothing, that was just Kaoru being nice." As soon as she'd gotten the sentence out, she felt the sharp sting of a slap across her face. "Liar! Kaoru doesn't do things like that for _any_ of the girls at Ouran! In fact, you're the first girl he's talked to outside of the host club! Now, _what were you doing with Kaoru?_"

"Please," Thalia begged, "it's not like that. Kaoru's just a good friend."

"Oh, yeah? Then why were you in his limo this morning?" _They'd kill me if they knew I was actually _living _there, _she thought. _Better lie._ "Well, on Saturday, I told him where I lived, and he said that was too far to walk, so he offered to give me a ride to school."

"Why can't you just get a ride yourself? Surely you have a car." Shit. She didn't think of that. "Well, because I'm too young to drive, and both my parents live in America, obviously." It was common knowledge that Thalia was a scholarship transfer from America. So the girls really couldn't say anything more on that subject.

"Why does Kaoru even like you in the first place? I mean, you're nothing special. Quiet, brainy, not that pretty, poor."

"I keep telling you, _it's not like that._ We're just friends. We met once while I was an exchange student here years ago, he remembered me, end of story."

"You know, I really don't care. Just stay away from Kaoru." Stay away from Kaoru? How could she do that? She imagined not talking to him, and it made her heart hurt. "Sorry, that's not going to happen. You girls can't tell me what to do. I'll do whatever I please." Clearly, that was not the right answer, as all the girls took turns slapping her face. "Try and talk to us like that, we'll show you." And they did. Thalia didn't dare fight back, she wasn't strong enough. And secretly, she knew that if she just took the punches and the kicks without laying a finger on them, they'd look even worse. By the time the evil fangirls had left, Thalia had a fat lip, her cheeks were both probably bleeding, and by tomorrow she knew she'd have bruises galore. It took her a few minutes to be able to stand, but once she could, she set right off for the nurses' office. But of course, she couldn't just get there in peace. No, because life would be easier that way. She had to run into the _one _person she didn't want to see her like this. Kaoru.

"Thalia? Oh my god, oh my god, what happened to you?" He demanded. "Very pissed off fangirls, that's what. Tried to tell me to stay away from you. I obviously wasn't having any of that, and I told them so. Clearly, they weren't pleased with that. Trust me, I probably look a lot worse than I actually am, no need to worry."

"No need to worry? Tally, you're a bloody _mess! _Come on, to the nurse." And before she could argue, he took her hand and personally escorted her to the nurses', where she had ice packs applied to the worst of her bruises, and was bandaged up where she was bleeding. And Kaoru sat next to her the entire time, holding her hand and looking especially guilty. Eventually, Thalia'd had enough. With a sigh, she said, "Kaoru, would you stop looking so damn miserable? I'm fine." Kaoru barely blinked. "No, you got the crap beaten out of you because you were around me. I'm not good for you." Another sigh from Thalia. "And I'm not good for you, therefore, we're perfect for each other. Now be reasonable. Do you think I would've let them kick the shit out of me if I thought I could've lived without you? I actually thought about it before telling them no, you know. I tried to see myself going back to my life before, not talking to you, not laughing with you, and I knew I couldn't. While I may not be able to tell you that I love you, I _do _know that I need you in my life, Kaoru Hitachiin. So don't think that I'd be better off without you, because we both know damn well I'm not." Once she'd finished talking, Kaoru smiled. "You know, you have a bit of a potty mouth, there."

"It's because I'm American." Thalia said with a wink. Kaoru laughed at that, and that's when the nurse returned, saying that Thalia could go home, if she wanted. Kaoru asked if he could go with her, and the nurse, seeing how he held her hand, gave him permission to. So Kaoru called up the limo to pick the both of them up. Once they'd gotten home, he sent Thalia up to her room to rest, and she complied. Funny how getting beat up makes you tired. By the time she woke up, Hikaru had returned home from school, so she really didn't know what the point of Kaoru coming home early was, but whatever he wanted to do, she guessed. So she got up and stretched, examining her body for her battle wounds. She had some pretty deep bruises on her shins, and a few on her upper arms, and one right in the middle of her chest, but nothing too bad. She'd had worse.

Once she'd washed up and changed into some more comfortable clothes, she made her way downstairs. Hikaru was sprawled out on the couch, playing his DS. Thalia was unsure whether or not she could sneak past him. Probably not, she wasn't really a good sneaker. So she stood on the stairs, completely at a loss. Maybe he was feeling a bit better, but she definitely wouldn't bet anything on it, certainly not her life. But thankfully, Kaoru appeared before anything else happened to her. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty." He smiled up at her. She smiled back, not wanting to say anything, lest she tick Hikaru off. "Feeling better?" He asked, sensing her source of discomfort. She nodded, grateful that he understood. "What happened? You get sick?" Hikaru asked. Thalia winced, but she found the courage to answer his question. "Some of Kaoru's rabid fangirls. They didn't like how I was hanging around him, so they beat the snot out of me."

"Man, it's crazy how completely insane some of these girls are. Sorry you got beat up."

"Thanks." She said, a bit more relaxed. But still, she didn't want to push it. "Kaoru, I'll be up in my room if you need anything." And with that, she headed back upstairs, wiggling into bed with another book, where she read until Kaoru came in. "Hey." She greeted him with a grin. He smiled back and sat down next to her on the bed. "Hey. Listen, you don't have to worry about Hikaru. We've talked it out. Yeah, he's upset that I have feelings for you, but he's agreed that he's not going to be rude to you. Because I told him that he could take me and you as a pair, or neither of us. It's just hard for him, because we've only been able to rely on each other our entire lives, and now you come in, and suddenly, he feels like he's all alone."

"Aww. You can tell him I forgive him, and I understand. Kaoru, I'm not causing you too much trouble, am I?" She asked. Secretly, she'd been upset with herself for coming in between Kaoru and his family. Because she was nothing compared to him, so he shouldn't be sacrificing his family for her. "No, of course not. Where'd you get a silly idea like that?"

"I dunno." She said, and snuggled up to him.

"Because honestly, you're not. It's not your fault that you have to stay here, and it's not your fault that Hikaru got upset. So please don't think that."

"Alright, I won't."

"Thank you." He murmured softly, and started playing with her hair. "You know, I'm probably going to change my hair color soon. You know, strip it and put a different color in."

"Oh? And what color would that be?" He asked her.

"Red. A really rich, deep red." He "hmmm"-ed and looked at her. "Yeah, I could see you as a really nice redhead, actually."

"I know. I was born to have red hair, but I got blonde instead so I can use that as an excuse whenever I have a moment. Actually, I have less of a blonde moment and seem to have more of a blonde _life._" And so they talked into the night. As Thalia laid there in bed, she could feel her walls slipping. She could feel herself growing more and more attached to Kaoru, and this scared her. In fact, she was horrified. Her mind tossed at her the memories of those first few days after her last breakup. The memories of her shaking, curled up in a little ball in her bed, in so much pain she was unable to think. Her mind continued to assault her with all those horrible memories of pain and loneliness, insisting that she couldn't dare let him in, he'd hurt her, too. But her heart fought back. _Kaoru's different, _it insisted. And Thalia herself was stuck in the middle, lost in the war between her heart and her head. It went on and on until she found tears of frustration rolling down her cheeks. In the end, she had two choices. She could leave Kaoru, find somewhere else to stay. She could forget his existence and go on with her life, safe from harm. Or she could take the chance, let herself fall. Who knows? Kaoru might be the one. But, either choice had its pros and its cons.

Thalia ended up tossing and turning most of the night, and therefore was quite exhausted come morning. Kaoru took one look at her and told her she was staying home, and to be honest, she couldn't find the energy to argue. That, and the thought of going right back to school with those violent fangirls didn't seem quite appealing. So Thalia stayed home where she finished up the last of her new books, and played some video games on the Hitachiin's widescreen HDTV. But she did come to a realization: She hated staying home from school. It was so _boring._ So she was quite thankful when she heard Kaoru and Hikaru walk in the door.

"Thalia?" Kaoru called.

"Down here." She called back. He descended the stairs, and one look at his marvelous face gave her enough energy to sprint and give him a huge tackle hug. "Oh my gosh, I missed you sooo much!" She gushed. And really, she did. "So, how was school?"

"Boring. How about you?"

"Same." She replied, then gave him a long kiss, right on the lips. "Man, you really did miss me." He said once they'd broken apart.

"I told you." She said, sticking her tongue out.

It was weird, when they were together, it was impossible for her to think one negative thought. His presence lifted her spirits, made her bubbly and giggly. It was only when he was gone that she became depressed. _Isn't that a good thing? _Her heart whispered. _No, it's definitely not. You're falling, and all you're going to do is get hurt. You have to stop this _now, _while you still can. _Her mind argued back. "Ugh, not again." Thalia groaned.

"Not what again?" Kaoru questioned curiously.

"My mind and my heart are arguing again." Thalia reluctantly confessed.

"Oh? What are they saying?"

"Well, my mind's telling me to stop before I get my heart broken again, but my heart's insisting that you're different, that you won't hurt me."

"Who do you think is right?"  
"That's the thing, I don't know. I'm so confused." Kaoru came over to her and started stroking her hair. "Thalia, what do you want?" He asked, his amber eyes looking into her own intensely. "Well...I...I want to be with you," she said, "but I'm scared. I don't do so well with breaking up. I very nearly killed myself the first time, who knows what I would do if it happens again? So, if you honestly want a serious relationship with me, you'd have to promise to never leave. And I couldn't do that to you, Kaoru. I couldn't ask you to settle down, not when you're still so young."

"I could. Thalia, you realize that at least half the kids in our grade are engaged, right?"

"What?"

"Yeah. It's really common in upper-class families. The parents arrange kids to be married for money or business partnerships or whatever. So they're settled for life, and it doesn't matter whether or not they actually care about their future wife or husband. So, if you wanted me to, I could promise to be with you forever, Thalia." Thalia was speechless. He'd do that for her? That was just...wow. "Really?" Thalia managed to get out. Kaoru smiled at her. "Really." Thalia tossed her arms around him, pulling him in for another kiss. "I love you, Kaoru Hitachiin."

"I love you, too, Thalia Gillespie."

So, that was it. Just like that, Thalia let him in, gave him her heart. She sure hoped she wouldn't regret this.


	6. Chapter 6

It was your typical Wednesday afternoon in the 3rd Music Room. Kyouya was typing away on his laptop, doing God knows what. Hunny was having his fifth slice of cake in a row, while Mori was sitting next to him, staring blankly at the wall. Haruhi was clearing off the tables, and the twins were playing pranks on Tamaki. Nothing out of the ordinary here. In fact, things were so normal that Haruhi wondered when things were going to get interesting. So it's unsurprising that just moments after she thought that, that's when everything went wrong.

It started with an innocent question, asked by Kyouya, who was also getting just a tad bored. "So, Kaoru, how are things going with Thalia? Is she feeling better?" Kaoru handed the Whoopee cushion he was holding over to Hikaru, who shrugged and continued to place it on the chair that Tamaki was about to dramatically sit on. "Things are just great. She finally told me she loved me last night, and her injuries are healing nicely. She should be back in school tomorrow." Kaoru said, plopping down on the Music Room's pink couch. "That's good. I heard that she looked like quite a mess on her way to the nurses'."

"She did. Those girls slapped her till she bled, and she's covered in bruises, but nothing that's too debilitating, I guess. But all that, just because she's spending time around me. She doesn't deserve that. I mean, Thalia's beautiful and smart and so sweet and funny. It's impossible to not feel better around her."

"You sound like you're quite infatuated with her." Kyouya remarked. "Are you sure you'll still be able to participate in Host Club activities?"

Kaoru hesitated before replying. "You know, I've been thinking about that. Honestly, I'm not sure." At this, Hikaru and Tamaki froze. Kaoru, not in the Host Club? Impossible. But what if he _did _leave the Host Club for Thalia? "Tamaki, we have to do something! Kaoru can't leave!"

"You're right." Tamaki said, already pacing furiously.

"Well, what if we broke them up?" Hikaru questioned. Of course he'd be the one to come up with _this _idea. He'd been thinking about it for a while, but he saw no reason to cause his brother that kind of pain. So he spent less time with Hikaru. Hikaru could've lived with that, as long as he knew his brother was happy. But leaving the Host Club? That was too much for just an ordinary girl. That was the bottom line.

"I dunno. I mean, if we did manage to split them up, then Kaoru would stay, but doesn't that seem a bit _harsh?_" Tamaki questioned. "I mean, wouldn't that hurt them both?"

"Yes, but it's for a good cause. You know that he'd never be able to actually marry her anyways. My parents are nice, and they're pretty cool, but even they'd have some issues with him marrying a poor American girl. I mean, the only reason they're letting her stay is because it makes them look good, like they're doing charity work by giving her a home and nice clothes."

"Well, if you say so. But how do we actually _do _that? How do we break them up?"

Hikaru smiled devilishly. "Just do as I say."

Thalia was definitely glad to be back at school. Yesterday she was practically bouncing around the house with all her pent-up energy. And she got so bored that she actually helped the maids with their work. Really, it wasn't that hard, and it did give her a chance to get used to walking around with all her injuries, but there was nothing quite like being at school with all of her friends. And Kaoru.

It was that exact ginger boy she was looking for when school ended, when all of a sudden, Tamaki walked up to her. _Well, _fuck. _I'm as good as dead now, _Thalia thought. If she'd gotten her ass kicked for hanging around Kaoru, associating with the King of the Host Club was the same as signing your own death sentence. But still, she managed to smile and act polite as Tamaki greeted her. "Now, what do you want with little old me?" She asked.

Tamaki's smile fell. "Well, I wanted to tell you something, for your own good." He said. Thalia could feel unease growing in the pit of her stomach, but she tried to remain hopeful. "What are you talking about?" She asked. At this point, he looked quite somber, his deep violet eyes the pinnacle of remorse. "It's about Kaoru."

Thalia could tell this was all wrong, and things were about to change. "What happened to him?" She asked. What if he'd gotten into an accident, and was being rushed to the hospital right now?

"No, nothing like that." Tamaki said, looking a bit surprised. He hesitated, then he sighed. "Kaoru's been saying things about you. Not nice things, I must add." Thalia's jaw dropped. Kaoru didn't seem like that type of guy. "What's he been saying?" She asked. She really didn't want to hear the answer, but she had to know. "He's been saying how annoying you get at times, and he was complaining about how long it took to get you to even say you loved him."

"What?" Thalia asked weakly, her eyes wide. It couldn't be true. But Tamaki wasn't a liar, he was sweet and innocent, he wouldn't lie about anything as serious as this. And it would make sense. Thalia knew how utterly unlovable she was. She knew that there was just _something_ about her, something that pushed away all guys that tried to get close. _I told you so, _her mind whispered faintly. And with that, she started crying. She was violently shaking with sobs. It'd happened again, she'd let her guard down, and she'd gotten hurt. Thalia fell to the floor, a crying mess. She only laid there a second before Tamaki helped her up, offering her a ride home. She was crying too hard to speak, so she just nodded miserably.

Tamaki felt rotten for doing this. His goal in life was to make girls happy, to tell them how beautiful they are so they can feel better about themselves. But his words, his actions, now caused this sweet girl to cry her heart out. He'd hurt her. Tamaki hoped that keeping Kaoru in the host club would be worth this. By now, Thalia had stopped crying, and was now staring at the floor of his limo, her arms wrapped around herself. She was quivering, not from the cold, but from the pain that was surely eating her up. Tamaki was amazed. He knew that she never would fake things to get attention, all this hurt was real. She'd really cared about Kaoru. With every second that passed, Tamaki felt more and more awful for what he'd done. Now, he could only hope that things would all work out in the end.

Kaoru waited by the front door of his house, wondering where in the world Thalia was. Word spread around the school quick, he'd heard how Tamaki had come up, said something to her, and she started crying. What in the world could he have said, and where had she gone? He heard the crunch of tires on gravel, and his head shot up. Tamaki's limo was in his driveway. The door opened, and Thalia climbed out, clearly distraught. Her cheeks were shining with tears, and her arms were wrapped around herself as she shook violently. He could hear Tamaki saying something to her, but he couldn't make out what. Thalia said something back, then the door closed and the limo drove off.

Kaoru lept up and sprinted over to her. "Tally, what happened?" He asked her, his arms already wrapping around her.

"NO! SHUT UP! Don't EVER talk to me again!" Thalia shoved her way out of his arms and dashed inside. Without even stopping to wonder why she wouldn't even look at him, he jogged after her. He found her in her room. She was crying again, tossing her old clothes in her suitcase, packing everything she had brought with her. "Thalia? What's going on? Are you leaving?"

Finally she looked up at him. Well, _glared _at him would be more accurate. "Of course I'm leaving, you insensitive _bastard!_ I trusted you, I believed every _lying_ word that came out of your _filthy mouth!_"

"Thalia, _what _are you talking about? I never lied to you! I love you!" This made her cry harder. "No! Don't say that, because you _don't!_ Tamaki told me what you said to all your guy friends when I wasn't around! How I'm _annoying_ and you hated how long it took for me to trust you! Well, believe me, I don't now!" And with that, she pushed past him and slammed the front door of the Hitachiin mansion behind her.

She was gone. Just like that. Kaoru sank down to the mattress she'd been sleeping in, the one that still smelled like her. And for the first time in years, Kaoru cried.

Thalia wandered the streets, completely lost. She had nowhere to stay. Of course, she couldn't go back to where she'd lived before. She didn't want to take anymore chances with horny old drunks. In fact, Thalia had probably been meandering for at least an hour when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned around and saw Haruhi Fujioka, one of the host club members. He seemed like a nice boy, quiet and smart. Probably the sanest one in the Host Club. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Well, me and...Kaoru," she winced at his name, "got into a fight, I guess, and I ran out of his house. I've got nowhere to stay." He smiled softly and put his arm around her. "Don't worry, you can stay at my place. Granted, it's not as large or as nice as the Hitachiin place, but it's better than nothing."

"Really? Thanks. And trust me, it's still probably better than the place I used to live in." Thalia smiled gratefully.

It turns out that they were just mere blocks from Haruhi's apartment. Of course, Haruhi was a scholarship student like herself, so she didn't expect anything grand, but she'd been right. It was heaven compared to her old shabby shack. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go change. Then you can use the bathroom, if you'd like." Haruhi said. "All right." Thalia nodded. "Feel free to make yourself at home." Haruhi called. So Thalia got up and explored. Within moments, she'd found a shrine, where incense was layed out. The woman in the picture was pretty, with long brown hair the exact color of Haruhi's. She figured that the woman was Haruhi's mother. She picked up the lighter that was laying next to the picture and lit the incense, bowing her head.

"Hey, I was wondering where you'd gotten off to." Haruhi said, peeking his head in. Thalia jumped. "Oh, um, I-I'm sorry." She quickly got up. Haruhi laughed. "It's no biggie." Finally, Thalia'd gotten a good look at what Haruhi was wearing: A pink tee, jeans with a floral print on them, and a necklace. "Um, Haruhi, what are you wearing?" It was at that moment that Haruhi froze, just realizing now that nobody'd told Thalia her secret. "Alright, so the cat's out of the bag, but you can't tell anybody."

"You're a girl?" Thalia exclaimed. Haruhi nodded. "Hmm, I guess I can't say I'm _too _surprised. I never really got the boy vibe from you anyways. Yeah, don't worry, I won't tell anybody." Haruhi relaxed. "Well, the bathroom's open if you want to change into something more comfortable." She said. "Kay, thanks." And Thalia went and changed into her own clothes. She hadn't bothered to pack any of the clothes _he'd _bought for her. She didn't want anything of his.

"So, what happened with you and Kaoru?" Haruhi asked, setting up food in the kitchen. "I'd rather not talk about it." Thalia mumbled, kneeling down at the table. "I understand." So Thalia pulled out her homework from her bag, and the two girls worked in peace.

So Thalia met Haruhi's father, who is a transvestite, but Thalia didn't mind. Of course, he was fine with the fact that Thalia needed a place to stay. All in all, she felt very welcome and almost at home here. This here was much more her style, and her and Haruhi quickly became good friends. For a moment or two, she'd actually forgotten about Kaoru, but it was hard to forget him while she laid in bed that night. Well, by bed, she meant a mat, but it was definitely better than the one she used to sleep on. Still quite comfortable.

Anyways, she tossed and turned, and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion.


	7. Chapter 7

Blecchhh, that last chapter was CRAP. Sorry guys. Hopefully this one will be a LOT better. XP I still don't own Ouran High School Host Club, Hatori Bisco does. Anyhoo, STORY TIME! 8D

Thalia discovered that, if anything, the second day of heartbreak was much more painful than the first. It felt like yesterday was just the shock of the break-up, and today was the day that everything _really _sunk in. As Thalia laid in bed early Thursday morning, she went over the facts in her head, each one carving a new hole in her gut, which was where all the pain seemed to be centered, not her heart: Kaoru had badmouthed her. He'd lied to her. He probably never even loved her. The pain just grew and grew, and there was nothing she could do except try to breathe in and out.

The more she laid there, the more painful her thoughts became: She wouldn't laugh with him anymore. He'd never call her beautiful or even compliment her ever again. He probably hadn't meant what he said, anyways. She hadn't found the one. She'd be alone all her life, because she was unlovable. Somehow that simple fact had managed to elude her. Funny how just a week ago, she tried to push him away. She should've tried harder.

Thalia heard Haruhi get up, but didn't make any sort of effort to get herself ready for school. "You're not gonna go today, are you?" Thalia couldn't muster up the will to make any sort of sound or movement, so she replied by just laying there. "Alright. I don't blame you. You deserve a day to just stay home, you shouldn't have to see him so soon after this. And don't worry, I'll try to make his life miserable today." Haruhi could've sworn she saw the corner of Thalia's mouth twitch up into the faintest of smiles, but she couldn't be sure. Either way, she was going to. Kaoru was a whole new level of insensitive bastard for giving up what he and Thalia had. She'd seen them on Saturday; they looked so _happy _together. And from what she'd heard, they were completely obsessed with each other. Haruhi had no clue what went wrong, but she knew that Kaoru was going to pay for it.

Kaoru had no clue how he'd managed to get up in the morning and get himself ready for school, but he did. If anything, the second day was much more painful than the first. He couldn't shove out of his mind the memory of Thalia glaring up at him, her sharp green eyes swimming with tears. But what hurt him the most were the emotions in them: Anger, pain, hatred. She _hated _him. For what, he didn't know, but he knew that she wouldn't just up and leave him for no reason, not when she was so scared of him leaving in the first place. So he knew whatever had happened was his fault. He felt so _lonely. _Hikaru was uncharacteristically quiet, considering the fact that he wasn't a fan of Kaoru and Thalia being together. Surely he would've seemed at least a bit happy, but he never even looked at Kaoru once. He barely noticed, though. He was too busy trying to breathe, to stay alive just another second.

If school was hard to survive through, then Host Club activities were close to impossible. He could tell that he just wasn't delivering today, but who could blame him? He'd just lost the love of his life, after all. That, and Haruhi seemed to be making every snide remark possible. What was her deal? Finally, he snapped after the last girl had left the room.

"Haruhi, are you on your period today or something?" He asked her loudly.

She glared back. "No, I just don't like ungrateful assholes who treat amazing girls like _trash!_"

"What are you talking about?"  
"I'm talking about you leaving Thalia. She's staying at my place. You should've seen how bad she was when I left for school today. How could you do that to her?"

"_She _was the one who left _me! _I was just waiting at home, when she pulls up in Tamaki's limo, a crying mess. She kept screaming at me, calling me a lying bastard. I tried to tell her that I never lied to her, but she just wouldn't listen." It was then that he realized how absurd this whole mess was. Why would she think he was lying? And more importantly, what did she think he was lying about? It was time to figure out what the hell was going on.

He turned to the Host Club president, who all of a sudden was intently studying a vase on the table in front of him. "Hey, why was Thalia in your limo anyways, Tamaki? And why was she crying?" Tamaki turned to look at him miserably. And not his exaggerating, dramatic type of miserable. Kaoru could see just how unhappy he was about the situation, too. But clearly, he had something to do with this, and Kaoru wouldn't be able to forgive him if he was the one who had caused Kaoru and Thalia so much pain. "Well? I want an answer, dammit! What did you say to her?" While he was yelling, he strode over to the president and grabbed fistfuls of his jacket. Tamaki still said nothing, looking away from Kaoru. Kaoru pulled back his right arm, his hand balled in a fist, when Hikaru yelled, "KAORU! STOP!"

"What?" He asked. He turned to look at his brother, but he was still poised to punch Tamaki.

Hikaru sighed. "He told Thalia that you'd been badmouthing her, calling her annoying, and stuff like that. But he did that because I told him to. We were afraid that you would leave the Host Club for her, so I came up with the plan to break you two up." He looked down at the floor, too guilty to look Kaoru in the eyes.

"I regretted what I said the moment it came out of my mouth." Tamaki murmured softly. Kaoru turned back at him in wonder, slowly releasing his clothes. "If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. I should've realized that your happiness should always come above my selfish desires. You're my friend, after all, and if you wanted to leave the Host Club to be with Thalia, I should've been happy for you. I'll understand if you'll never forgive me, I definitely don't deserve it."

Kaoru thought for a moment before replying. "I forgive you, I understand why you did what you did. And besides, Hikaru admitted that he came up with the idea, and you were the one who carried it out. I don't blame you at all, Tamaki." He turned over to where his brother was standing. "But _you, _Hikaru, I don't know if I'll ever forgive you for what you did to Thalia, to me, your twin. You had more than just the Host Club in mind when you came up with the idea to split us up. You never liked her, and you thought that things would just go back to normal if Thalia was out of the picture, right? Well, trust me, you were wrong." Kaoru paced towards the door of the Music Room, throwing it open. "Well, I refuse to work with you any more." He said, turning back towards the group. "I quit." And with that, he walked out and let the door slam shut behind him. The rest of the Host Club all stared at the door, frozen in place for what felt like forever. The silence that had filled the room after Kaoru had walked out said more than Kaoru himself ever could.

Haruhi walked home in silence, feeling very morose. She felt bad for the things she'd said to Kaoru before he exploded. It turns out that he'd had nothing to do with his and Thalia's breaking up; it was all Hikaru's fault. Kaoru had probably been in just as much pain as Thalia was, and all she'd done all day was rub salt in his wounds. Well, she'd resolved that she'd explain to Thalia what had really happened. Hopefully it wasn't too late to save their relationship. And after, she'd definitely apologize to Kaoru.

The apartment was quiet when she walked in, but considering how Thalia had been earlier that morning, Haruhi wasn't surprised. "Hey, Thalia? I'm home. We've got to talk; it's about Kaoru." She said, walking into the bedroom that the two had shared. But Thalia wasn't in bed like she had been earlier. So, maybe she hadn't been in bed all day, maybe she'd finally found the motivation to get up. But Haruhi quickly learned that Thalia wasn't anywhere. She was gone. As Haruhi passed the bedroom again, something caught her eye. Folded up on the mat that Thalia had slept in was a note, addressed to Haruhi. Dropping her bag, she practically tore it open in her rush to read what it said.

_Haruhi,_

_I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. I'm sick of the pain, sick of being rejected and unwanted. I don't mean anything to anybody, so what's the point in living? None of you will miss me when I'm gone, especially not Kaoru._

_By the time you read this, I'll probably already be gone. Thanks for listening and being a great friend, I'm sorry we couldn't get to know each other better._

_Yours truly,_

_Thalia Gillespie_

Haruhi didn't even hesitate. The moment she had finished the last word of the note, she dove for the phone, furiously dialing Kyouya's number.

Kyouya felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, and was surprised to see Haruhi's number pop up. She never called him. "Yes?" He answered, not bothering to hide his shock. "It's Thalia. I don't know where she's gone, and she left me a note. Kyouya, she's gone to off herself. I don't know if she already has." Haruhi's voice was quivering and cracking all over the place; she was clearly fighting the urge to cry. "Say no more. Haruhi, go out and start looking for her immediately. I'll call up the rest of the club.

He started with Hunny and Mori, then Tamaki, then Hikaru, saving Kaoru for last. But he'd only hesitated for a few seconds before dialing the number, remembering that a few seconds could mean life or death for Thalia. "Kaoru, I don't know if Hikaru has already told you, but we need you _now._"

"What do you want, Kyouya? And no, I haven't even talked to that bastard."

"Thalia left a suicide note at Haruhi's. Since you're clearly the one that knows her the best, you're the one we need the most. We need you to find her."

Silence. In fact, Kyouya had to check his phone several times to make sure that Kaoru hadn't hung up on him. Then, he heard Kaoru's voice. "Don't worry. I'll find her." Then Kyouya heard the _click_ of the line being disconnected. He snapped his phone shut and dashed outside, his eyes searching the streets.

Kaoru couldn't believe what was happening. In fact, when Kyouya had first said that Thalia had run off to go kill herself, he had to resist the urge to call him a liar and hang up. But Kyouya wouldn't lie, not about something like this. But as soon as he said that he'd find her, he dashed right out the door, still in his school uniform. Now he sprinted through the streets, running faster than he ever had before. It was because he knew that if he was just a second too late, he'd lose her forever. Of course, if she died, he'd be right after her. A world without Thalia to light it up just wasn't a world worth living in.

Though his legs were screaming for a break, and his throat was raw from his shallow breathing, Kaoru refused to stop. He'd run himself straight into the ground trying to find her. Every now and then, he _would _stop, to ask a passerby if they'd seen her, but apparently, it seems like she had just decided to stop existing. But finally, a man working an ice cream stand said he'd seen a girl matching Thalia's description walking into the woods on the outskirts of the city not too long ago. Kaoru had barely given the man a thank you before he was off again, racing towards the woods. The sun beat down overhead, and sweat was practically dripping off him, but he didn't care. All that mattered was Thalia.

It seemed like he'd been running in the forest forever before he came to a small wooden bridge. There, standing on the railing, was Thalia. Kaoru tried to yell out to her, tell her to stop, tell her that she was wrong, tell her that he loved her more than he'd ever love any girl, but he had no breath to get anything out. His panting caught her attention. She turned towards him. She saw him, hunched over, gasping for air. And then, she jumped. She still hadn't hit the water before Kaoru dashed for the railing and launched himself over.

The sensation of falling was exhilarating. Thalia loved the feel of her hair billowing out behind her. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine that she was flying. But her serenity lasted only a moment before she hit the water of the river below. The bridge wasn't far enough above the water for the impact to actually kill her, she knew that. Thalia had never been a good swimmer, so she planned to let herself drown. Sure, she could've done it in a tub, but she wasn't sure if she'd have the self-control to keep her head under, to force herself to inhale the water. This way, she knew she wouldn't stand a chance. In the middle, the bottom was too far down for her to reach. As long as she stayed here, it wouldn't be too hard to drown.

She floated along, forcing herself to stay upright and in the middle. Within a minute, she was submerged underwater. Thalia opened her mouth, let the water rush in. But before she could get a good lungful, she felt herself being pulled up to the surface. As soon as her head was brought up, she started coughing, her lungs instinctually forcing out the water that Thalia had hoped would kill her. She was too weak to fight the force that was dragging her to one of the banks of the river. Once she'd been laid down on dry land, Kaoru's face appeared above her. Since he was blocking the sun, she couldn't make out his expression, but his voice let her know just how he felt.

"Thalia Gillespie! What is wrong with you? Why the hell would you do that?" He asked her.

Her throat was raw, so her voice came out all scratchy, but somehow he was able to understand her. "I'm...sick of it. I'm done...done with being...unwanted. I'm unlovable...Nothing left for me." She got out in between deep, raspy breaths.

Kaoru shook his head angrily. He was crying, but he was so soaked that the only thing giving it away was the fact that his eyes were red. He was upset that she'd tried to do this to herself, sad that she thought that way, but mostly relieved. Thalia was alive. She was right here, where he could see that she was going to live. "Thalia, you've got it all wrong. I love you, so much more than you can apparently comprehend. What Tamaki said...It was all stuff made up by Hikaru. You could ask any of them, I've only ever said good things about you. You've brought me so much happiness. For the first time in my life, I feel like I truly have something worth living for. No other girl had ever caught my eye before I'd met you way back in middle school, and after you left, not a single one ever crossed my mind. You were the first and only girl to love me for _me. _You're one of the few that realizes that even though Hikaru and I are identical twins, we're still completely different people. I don't ever want to live without you, Tally." He was holding her hands in his, begging for her to understand.

"You...really mean it?" She asked. Kaoru could see the conflict inside of her: She wanted to believe him, but she'd been hurt. Her trust in him had been broken, and she wasn't sure if she could get it back. But she had to. The hope of being with Thalia again was the only thing keeping Kaoru going at this point.

He took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. "Of course I mean it. You're the one that I want, Thalia Gillespie. Do you...do you still love me?" At this, she smiled weakly; almost drowning had taken a lot out of her. "How could I not?" That was when the ambulance and the paramedics showed up, putting Thalia onto a stretcher. Of course, Kaoru rode with her. Later on, they'd learned that Kyouya showed up right after Kaoru did, saw him jump, and called an ambulance and the rest of the Host Club.

On the way to the hospital, Thalia explained what had happened with her ex-boyfriend, why she was so scared and insecure. She told Kaoru how she'd been sure she was going to marry him, how they'd been together for half a year, how he'd been her first. She remembered how confused and hurt she'd been when he magically stopped loving her days after she'd given him her virginity. Kaoru held her hand and told her that he understood, that he'd never at any point felt impatient or upset that she couldn't return his feelings at first. She smiled and said, "I knew you were different from all the rest the first day I saw you." Then she finally fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.


	8. Chapter 8

Bah, sorry for the impossibly long wait between the last chapter and this one. I kinda gave up, didn't know where to go next. Buuuuut, I got it, so it's kay! :D

I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything to do with it. All rights go to Hatori Bisco.

Thankfully, Thalia wasn't injured, just exhausted. So, after the doctors had looked her over, they conceded that she could go home. Kaoru held her protectively in his arms the entire ride home. Nobody else was allowed to touch her, she was his alone. In the car, he got more time to look at her face, every single little feature that he adored, from the freckle on her eyelid to the shape of her lips. She was perfect in every way possible, and he would never let her go again. Kaoru made this promise to himself as he lifted her small hand and placed a delicate kiss on it.

Thalia stirred and smiled softly up at Kaoru. His amber eyes seemed to be glowing, full of warmth. For the umpteenth time, she wondered how one of the gods of a school for the rich managed to fall in love with her. But she was finally starting to accept that, cause she didn't want to jinx herself, heaven forbid.

"Hello, beautiful." Kaoru grinned down at the petite girl in his lap. She smiled back up at him. "Hullo." Said Thalia, her speech still slurred with sleep.

"I hate to wake you up, love, but we're home. D'you think you can walk inside?" Thalia nodded and sat up, stretching her joints. They were a bit sore, but she'd probably feel better after some more rest. The chauffeur opened the door for her, and she shakily got up. Thalia almost fell, but Kaoru was quickly by her side, gently grabbing her elbow. He promptly linked her arm in his as to prevent any more accidents, and walked inside at a brisk pace, practically dragging her along. He apparently was very eager to make sure she got all the sleep she needed.

"Mom! Dad! We're home!" Kaoru called out as he opened the door. To his surprise, his mother actually returned the call. "We're in the living room, dear! We have a guest!" Clearly befuddled, the ginger-haired boy led Thalia into the living room. The scene in front of him just worsened his state of confusion.

Thalia tried her hardest to not scream and run away, but she still trembled at the sight of the girl sitting in the middle of the couch. She didn't know the girl's name, but she definitely remembered her face. This was the girl that had led the attack, the one that had first slapped her and the girl that had beaten her the worst. Thalia didn't know why this girl was here, nor did she want to. All Thalia wanted was to get away, to hide under the covers. But the most she could do was quiver and hold tighter onto Kaoru. She wasn't sure, but Thalia thought she could see the girl looking at her, like one would look at a spider in their shower. It was a look of revulsion and disgust. But neither of Kaoru's parents seemed to register the girl's expression.

But since the girls that had beaten Thalia had kept their identities a secret, Kaoru could only guess as to why Thalia was shaking beside him. He caught the girl's eye, and she smiled sweetly at him. He remained expressionless.

"Kaoru, dear, this is Mikuru Nunomeka. Her father runs a well-known textile company. He and I had a talk, and he agreed that either you or Hikaru could marry his daughter. Since she insisted that it was you, we've arranged for you and her to be married. Isn't that splendid?" She grinned obliviously at Kaoru, ignoring how his and Thalia's hands were intertwined.

"Mother, forgive me for turning up your offer, but I've already made a promise. A promise that I intend to keep." His mother's smile faded. "What kind of promise?" She asked, an undertone of annoyance in her voice.

At this point, Kaoru pulled Thalia in closely to him. "I promised Thalia that I would never leave her. She's the girl I'm going to marry, mother." Kaoru's mother looked at him sharply. "Now, now, Kaoru. I let you have your fun with the little poor girl, but you honestly didn't think I'd let you get married to her, did you? What good would that do us?"

Kaoru tried to plead. "She really couldn't get engaged to Hikaru?" His mother shook her head. "Mikuru insisted. Either you two get married, or no deal."

He bit his lip, trying to find a way out. There was one thing, but was he willing to go that far? He looked to his left, where Thalia was pressed up against him. She looked up at him, and an arrow drove through Kaoru's heart. Her eyes were shining with tears threatening to spill over. She was hurting, and badly. She had just gotten Kaoru back, and now she was going to lose him again, this time for good. "It's okay, do what you have to." She whispered as her gaze fell to the floor. Her shoulders shook as she started to cry silently.

That was the last straw for Kaoru. If there was a way, of course he'd take it. He'd do anything for Thalia. "If being a Hitachiin means that I have to marry a girl I don't love, and break the heart of the girl that I do, then I don't want anything to do with it. I denounce my Hitachiin name. Let's go, Thalia." He took her hand and whirled around, slamming the front door behind him. He walked until he reached a park several blocks away. By this time, most of his steam had worn off.

Thalia was in shock for most of the trip. Only when Kaoru came to a stop and looked at her did she realize what just happened. Kaoru had just left his family. For _her._

"Kaoru, you do realize what you've done, right?" She asked him softly, placing a hand on his cheek. Kaoru closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "Yeah, I do."

"Why? First the host club, now your own family." It made absolutely no sense to her.

He looked down at Thalia and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Really, I'm glad I did. The host club and my social class were the things putting such a distance between us, the things keeping us from being together properly. Now, I'm right with you. I'm not a prince anymore." He smiled ruefully then kissed her like he never kissed her before.

Thalia broke away, gasping for air. "Kaoru, what do we do now?" She asked. Well, wasn't that the question of the century? Frankly, Kaoru had no idea. He really hadn't thought it out. "Well, er, honestly, I hadn't the slightest clue. I was hoping you'd figure something out." Thalia bit her lip and thought for a few moments. "Well, one of the other host club members would gladly take us in for now. I mean, there's really not much left to the school year. Then we can take a plane, get the hell out of here. I'd love for you to come meet my friends and family." She grinned at the thought.

Kaoru seemed to share her enthusiasm. "Of course." In the end, they ended up staying at Hunny's, where Kaoru watched in shock as Thalia and the blond senior ended up polishing off four cakes before bed. (Sure, Hunny ate most of them, but Thalia probably ate the equivalent of an entire cake on her own.)

The next day, Kaoru and Thalia both agreed to stay home. Thalia still needed the rest, and Kaoru didn't feel like going to school and seeing Hikaru. But, of course, the effort was futile, as Hikaru showed up at the door right after school. Kaoru really didn't want to know what his brother had to say, but Thalia was afraid Hikaru would start screaming at her, blaming the entire thing on her again. So Kaoru opened the door. Sure enough, you could practically see the steam coming out of the older twin's ears.

"Alright, your dramatic little stunt last night was funny as hell, time to come home." Hikaru said.

"That's not home anymore." Replied Kaoru.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Like hell it isn't. Come on, you damn drama queen. I'm not letting you leave home because of a damn _girl._"

"She's not just any girl-"

"Yeah, I've heard it before. Really, don't you think quitting the host club was enough? I'm sick of you following her around like a damn puppy. This is ending. Now."

Kaoru shook his head sadly. "Sorry, Hikaru. But I meant it. I'm marrying Thalia, and nothing's stopping me. She's not gonna cry over me, not anymore."

Hikaru's eyes hardened. "So, that's it? In the end, she means more to you than I do?"

Kaoru froze. "No, Hikaru, that's not it at a-"

"Yes, it is. You said it last night. You denounced the Hitachiin name. That means that you'd rather be with Thalia than related to me. Thank you, Kaoru. It's nice to know that I meant so much to you." And with that, Hikaru turned around and left.

"Hikaru, wait!" Kaoru called out to his brother, but it was too late. Hikaru was already gone. "Dammit!" Kaoru hit the doorframe with the side of his fist. Just like that, he'd lost his own brother. Behind him, Kaoru heard Thalia say his name. She was sitting on the floor behind him, her face half-buried in an oversized purple teddy bear. "I'm so sorry," she murmured. Her whole face disappeared into the plushie. Thalia did the best she could to hide her crying. In fact, Kaoru couldn't even tell until he sat down next to her, and saw her shoulders quiver slightly. Sure enough, when he took the teddy away, her face was tear-streaked and blotchy. "Oh, Kaoru, I'm so so _sorry! _I've completely ruined your life! You don't even have your family anymore, thanks to me!" Kaoru started rubbing away her tears with his thumb. "I should've drowned in that damn river." She muttered.

For the first time in his life, Kaoru glared at Thalia. "Thalia Gillespie, you look at me." When she continued to glumly stare at the floor, her put his hands on either side of her face and pulled it up to his. "Don't you _ever _think that, do you hear me? My life would be empty without you. You light up my world. You give it color, you give it meaning. For the first time in my life, I have something, someone worth living for. I didn't just leave last night to make you happy. I did it because there would be no possible way for me to spend the rest of my life with anybody but you. I'm going to marry you, we're going to have a happy family, and live in a nice house, and dammit, we're going to grow old together. I'm going to make that happen, because _I _want that. Is that clear?" She nodded. "I love you." He said before pressing his lips against hers.

"I love you, too, Kaoru." Thalia whispered in between kisses. Kaoru was right. No matter what, it'd be okay, because Kaoru was there for her, and he always would be.


	9. Chapter 9

Whoo boy! I swear I'm gonna finish this story before the school year starts! Soo, a big shoutout to The Chibi Alice, BravoMonAmi, KaiH, Crystal-Wolf-Guardian (who reviewed both my stories, yay!), and definitely Miss May for reviewing 3 whole chapters. XD Anyhoo, I don't own OHSHC. On with the show!

The female masses gaped in shock in front of the door to Music Room 3. Normally, these door were open to anybody, welcoming in visitors to the Ouran High School Host Club. But today, the handles wouldn't budge. The sign on the door offered no explanation, it only said "CLOSED" in big, fancy letters, with a little "Sorry!" written in the corner by Tamaki.

"What could it possibly be? The host club never closes. Never!" One student whispered to her friend.  
"I don't know," her friend replied. "Even if their performance isn't top-notch, they'd still do it."

"Yeah! The show must go on!" Another girl cried, ovehearing the conversation. This caused the rest of the girls to take up a chant. "The show must go on! The show must go on! The show must go on!"

Tamaki gazed glumly at the closed doors from inside the music room. The fans needed the hosts, but the hosts sadly refused. And how could they open the club? Kaoru was gone, and Hikaru couldn't smile if his life depended on it. And his mood radiated off to the rest of the hosts. Hunny couldn't even eat the chocolate cake sitting in front of him.

"So...what do we do?" Haruhi finally asked, breaking the overwhelming silence.

At first, nobody answered. But finally, Kyouya piped in. "Well, we have a list of options. We could break up Thalia and Kaoru, but we've already tried that and saw the results." Hikaru shuddered. He hadn't meant to almost kill Thalia. "We could let them be, but that would mean the end of the Host Club, or at least the closing of it for a long time to figure out what to do with just Hikaru. Or, we could all talk to Hikaru's and Kaoru's parents, for the enagement is what caused Kaoru to act so rashly."

"I suppose that's the best we've got." Haruhi nodded, and the others chimed in their agreement. So, once the disappointed fangirls had left, the host club set out for the Hitachiin residence.

"Mom? Dad? Could we talk to you?" Hikaru called out once everybody was inside. Fifteen minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin were seated opposite the students. "What did you want to talk about, dear?" Yuzuha smiled.

"Well, obviously, it's about Kaoru." Haruhi started slowly.

Yuzuha's eyes hardened slighty. "What about Kaoru? He's not part of this family anymore."

"Yes, but everybody in the host club agrees that this isn't the most...ideal situation. Kaoru is an important part of the host club, so we need him to come back. In other words, he needs to come back to the Hitachiin family. And the only way he'll do so is if he gets to marry Thalia." Kyouya explained cooly.

"Well, that's absolutely ridiculous! We'd lose a great business deal over this!"

"Yes, but," Tamaki chimed in, "in the end, wouldn't the fact that your son will be happy for the rest of his life override the money?"

"Yeah, think of Kaoru for once, not the money!" Honey cried from his perch on Mori's shoulders.

Yuzuha bit her lip, then turned to her husband. They muttered back and forth for a while. Finally, Yuzuha sighed and turned back to the club. "I guess you're right. It was selfish of me to force a marriage on Kaoru that he didn't want. After all, I got to marry for love. So he should have the same right, too. I guess I'd just gotten so caught up in the business lately..." She shook her head. "Please, tell Kaoru he's welcome back, and that if it's his wish to marry Thalia, he can do so."

The host club erupted into shouts of triumph, and hugs were passed all around. Except to Kyouya, of course.

"Well, I guess it's time to spread the good news!" Haruhi grinned.

However, Tamaki noticed that Hikaru was still a bit glum. "What's wrong?" Tamaki asked him, his violet eyes filled with concern.

Hikaru sighed irritably. "I dunno. I mean, I'm glad that we'll have Kaoru back, but I doubt he'll forgive me. Just because he's a Hitachiin again doesn't mean he'll accept me as his brother. I guess...I guess I'd be okay with him favoring her, as long as he still loved me, too."

Tamaki smiled. "Oh, Hikaru, I'll make sure that Kaoru forgives you. I'm sure it won't be too hard."

Kaoru giggled at Thalia, who was currently under his arm, sleeping. She'd been watching TV with him, and had dozed off at some point. She really was cute when she was sleeping. Just so...peaceful. And content.

A knock at the door startled Thalia awake, and she stretched while Kaoru got up to answer the door. Standing in front of him was the entire host club, Hikaru included. In fact, Hikaru did not look angry, but in fact a bit sheepish.

"Kaoru! Kaoru! Good news!" Hunny cheered.

"Yes, good news indeed! We talked to your parents, and they agreed to welcome you back, and you can marry Thalia!" By this point, Thalia had joined Kaoru at the door, and when Tamaki went to throw his arms around the twin, she beat him to it, giving Kaoru a huge kiss in the process.

"This is amazing, Kaoru! This is everything we'd wished for." She smiled so brightly at him, he had to smile back.

Kaoru then turned to his brother. "Hikaru, are you okay with this?"

Hikaru bit his lip, before looking up from the ground. "I'd decided. I'd be fine with you marrying her as long as...as long as you still love me, too."

Kaoru chuckled. "Hikaru, you'll always be my only and my favorite brother." Kaoru embraced his brother, and the two hugged for a long time.

Thalia watched the scene and smiled. She had a feeling that things would only go up from here on in.

Sorry that was like, all talking. That'll definitely be fixed in the next chapter. Which, incidentally, is the last! I'm so excited to finally be finishing a story. Thank you guys for reading and reviewing! :D


	10. Chapter 10

Oh. My. God. I can't believe I did it!~ And it's an even ten chapters. I wasn't going for that, but it worked out nicely. :) Thank you sooo much everybody who's already read and reviewed this, and to people that hopefully will read and review this in the future. I'm proud of this story. It hit its rough patches, but it pulled through. Now, what you've been waiting for, the last chapter. I own nothing, as always.

The year ended, thankfully, on a peaceful and happy note, even if it was a bit better. Hunny and Mori had graduated, leaving the Host Club short one duo. Thalia was practically in tears. She'd had an affinity for the little blonde, and he'd come to enjoy her company, too. The two held each other and cried.

"You can come over any time! In fact, sleep over tonight and you can even have a whole cake all to yourself!" Hunny begged.

"Of course I'll come over, Hunny! I don't wanna miss you yet!"

"Hey, aren't we allowed over, too?" Tamaki cried. Hunny glared at him, confirming that the invitation was just for Thalia. Kaoru laughed at the sight. Any other guy would've gotten upset that Hunny was hogging his girlfriend, but Kaoru knew he had nothing to be jealous of. He knew that Hunny and Thalia had a friendship that was strong and unique. And Kaoru knew that nobody could take her from him. So there were no worries.

A few weeks later, it was Thalia's 16th birthday. To her actual utter surprise, Kaoru got down on one knee and proposed to her properly, presenting a stunning 3-diamond ring, plated in white 18k gold. She was crying so hard she could only nod before throwing herself onto Kaoru. He, too, had tears of joy in his eyes as he slid the ring onto her right finger (for she was a lefty), where it fit perfectly. For the rest of the day, she fidgeted with it constantly and everybody caught her gazing at it. It looked like it was made specifically for her, which she wouldn't put past Kaoru to do. In short, she loved it.

Another year passed, and it was time for Tamaki and Kyouya to graduate. This was the saddest of all, for it was with this graduation that the Host Club would be closed for good. There would not be another prince like Tamaki Suoh, and there would definitely not be another manager as...capable as Kyouya Ootori. With tears in their eyes, Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi, and Thalia wished their friends good luck in pursuing their dreams and saw them off. Just like with Hunny last year, Thalia and and Tamaki clung to each other and bawled. However, Tamaki threw a huge party, inviting everybody from the Host Club, including Hunny and Mori. Kaoru was sad to see the King go, he was the one that had drawn both the twins out of their shells. But seeing Thalia, he knew that he would be fine.

Fast forward one more year, and it was finally time for the remnants of the Ouran High School Host Club to graduate. It was impossible not to cry, especially when Thalia saw Hunny, Mori, Tamaki, and yes, even Kyouya applauding when she walked across the ornate stage to receive her diploma. Of course, she was valedictorian of her class, so she had to make a speech in front of the school. She was paralyzed until she found Kaoru's familiar amber eyes. Her pulse slowed, her sweating stopped, and she managed to get out her speech of hopes and dreams. At the end, there was a roar of applause, and Thalia beamed at the crowd. Once she was offstage, she was mobbed by Kaoru, and the rest of her friends followed. She was met with many congrats and handshakes, and a few awkward hugs, for Kaoru refused to let her go.

After graduation, Thalia and Kaoru packed and flew to America. There, Kaoru finally met Thalia's family and friends. Every single one of them absolutely adored Kaoru. Her parents could find no faults in him. Her friends all wanted to fly to Japan to find their own amazing man. Of course, Thalia beamed, ecstatic that it all worked out so perfectly.

There, in America, Thalia and Kaoru finally took the last step. The wedding took place in America, for it was easier for Kaoru's family and friends to fly in than Thalia's. Kaoru waited impatiently at the altar for his bride to arrive. His tuxedo was a forest green, and his tie was amber. He insisted the former, she the latter. And suddenly, there she was, the pinnacle of grace and beauty. In her lacy, flowy gown, she looked even more petite and delicate than normal. Her hair, now grown out and red, was swept up into a curly bun. Green ribbons were weaved through her hair, and her dress was white with a train that matched the color of Kaoru's tie. And his eyes. Next to him, Hikaru nudged his elbow playfully. Thalia's maid of honor grinned at him. It took far, far too long for her to be by his side. But his heart relaxed once she was there. Kaoru repeated after the minister carefully. He hadn't learned much English, but he knew enough to make her his wife. And finally, he was able to slide her ring upon her finger. It sidled up nicely next to her engagement ring. Then she slid a ring onto his, with her delicate little fingers. The minster said one last thing, and Thalia attacked his lips with her own. It was official. She was all his, and he was hers, and nobody could change that.

Fast forward another three years. After discussing it thoroughly, Kaoru and Thalia settled down in America, not far from Thalia's parents. Thalia had managed to get a job in a hospital, ironically the very one that saved her father's life. Kaoru pursued his dream of becoming a chef and owning a restaurant. It wasn't very big right now, but business seemed to be growing, which made him happy. One day, he got a call on his cell. Checking it, it was from Tally, who was home sick.

"Hello" He answered.

"Kaoru, I've got something to tell you." She started, a bit hesitant.

He had an idea where this was going. "What is it, love?"

"I'm...I'm pregnant."

He dropped the cell phone on the counter and almost broke it. It was as he expected, but the news was no less shocking. "Tally, that's...that's amazing." And it was. They had a stable home and stable jobs, now was the right time to focus on a family.

8 months later, Thalia was wheeled into an emergency room, clearly in labor. Kaoru followed behind the wheelchair, clearly distressed. What if something happened to the baby, what if something happened to Thalia? The next six hours would be the most stressful ones of his life. But finally, a nurse opened the door to the waiting room and called his name. Tentatively, he walked into Tally's room. Her hair was stringy, her face shiny with sweat, but she was still beautiful. And there, wrapped in a blanket in her arms, was their child. "It's a boy." She said to him, grinning. Kaoru stared at the child in wonder. Right there, he was his and Thalia's. He, too, was beautiful.

"We did a great job." He said, kissing the tip of her nose.

She giggled. "What's his name? I was thinking Chase Masahiro. Cause I like Chase, and I want him to keep some of his Japanese heritage."

Kaoru smiled. "I love that name."

Chase Hitachiin was quite the handful as a baby, but Thalia turned out to be a great mother, and Chase was a bright child indeed. When he was two, Thalia became pregnant again, and this time had a girl, whom they named Emiko. And when Chase was five and Emiko was three, Thalia and Kaoru had one more girl, named Karin. Kaoru and Thalia loved their family dearly.

The years flew by, and before Kaoru and Thalia could realize it, their children had all grown up and left for college and jobs. Before Kaoru and Thalia knew it, they were middle-aged, and then became seniors. Before Kaoru and Thalia knew it, they themselves had become grandparents. And even in their old age, Kaoru still loved Thalia more and more every day. She was still beautiful. Her lips still turned up into that adorable smile, her eyes still twinkled brilliantly. Kaoru and Thalia managed to live to see a few of their great-grandchildren. But the time had come. And somehow, Thalia and Kaoru died the same night, together in their sleep.

They were buried together, and their tombstone read, "Here lies two people who were the embodiment of true love."


End file.
